Chapter 148

I got on my feet slowly, still looking at her.

I can't believe it.

Am I actually seeing this?

Am I literally looking at my mum right now?

"I believe you are surprised to see me, sweetie," she said.

"Is...is this really you?" I stuttered, staring at her from her head to her toes.

She chuckled. "Yes, sweetie. It is me."

"But....how can this be? I don't understand. I thought....I thought you were dead."

"No. This is me, your mother in flesh and blood," she said, sitting on the huge seat next to her in a relaxed way and looking at me with a smile.

"How?" I almost whispered.

"What do you mean how?" She asked.

"How are you alive?" I raised my voice a bit. "You died in the fire with dad after he was shot by......" I trailed off the minute I recalled the men calling her De'vora.

My heart picked up.

She raised her brows at me.

"Wait, are you......are you De'vora?" I stuttered.

She didn't respond but stared at me.

"Are you De'vora?" I almost yelled.

She didn't respond again but gave the men a signal with her fingers and I sensed them walking away, leaving me with her.

"What's with the tone? You never use that tone on me," she said.

"Tell me what is going on," I said.

"What do you want to know?"

"Why are you alive and in front of me? Why did those men call me De'vora? What is going on?!" I almost yelled.

The door behind her opened, claiming my attention and I saw the worst traitor ever.

Annamarie.

The nanny that almost sold me out if I hadn't run away.

I let out a scoff of disbelief as I continued staring at her. She is dressed in red attire, looking very well-fed and taken care of. She stood next to my mother like a guard.

God, I am beyond confused right now.

Nana.

My mother.

De'vora.

What is going on?!

"Hello, child," Annamarie said.

"I am not your child, old snake," I snapped angrily, making her face twitch.

"Evelyn Julia Millers," mum called me by my full name, making me look at her.

No one ever calls me that except her.

I thought I would never hear anyone call my full name again.

But here we are now.

What is going on?!

"Have you forgotten who you are talking to?" she asked.

I didn't respond but stared at her.

"Apologize to her,"

"Tell me what I need to know," I said.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Why is she with you? Who the fuck are you?!" I yelled.

She hummed slightly, lowering her gaze a bit and then looked at me.

"I am Mrs Louisa Millers. Your mother," she said.

"Who is De'vora?" I asked.

She didn't respond but stared at me.

"Who is that?"

"My late father," she answered.

I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"What?"

"He was De'vora, but he died a year ago, so I took over everything. From his name to his asset. Which is lost, but I am trying to regain it back."

I lowered my gaze, processing all she said.

"Any more questions?" she asked.

"So.....you are telling me," I said, looking at her. "That you are De'vora, and you sent your men to our house. They killed dad and burned down our house?"

She stared at me.

"You weren't in it when it got burnt, were you?" I asked.

"I actually I was. But I managed to get out," she said, making me more confused.

"What are you saying?"

"Listen, sweetie, my deal with your father is different. He betrayed me."

I scoffed in disbelief.

"You have no idea what he did," she said without emotion.

"So you had him killed?" I asked.

She didn't respond.

My heart tightened painfully.

"You killed dad. Burnt our house and sent your men after me?"

She still didn't respond.

I let out a breath of disbelief.

"I can't believe this. My own mother is De'vora. That explains the way you act. The way you react to things. The strange things you taught me. How to defend myself, how to give CPR, how to stop a bleeding injury, the kind of clothes to wear, the tracking device on the pendent you fucking gave to me!"

She stared at me.

"That was you?!"

"What is your deal with Don Adrian Morelli?" she asked, ignoring all I said.

My heart clenched the minute she said the name.

She raised her brows.

Wait...

God no.

"Is he.....is he your accomplice?" I asked, my heart begging to be wrong.

She scoffed. "He caused me a lot of men. The first time he killed my men and every other time he killed them just to save you."

My heart reacted.

"It was like he placed CCTV on you or something. Because whenever my men try to access you, they either get killed or kidnapped. He made it difficult for me to access you until I met the blonde bitch."

I lowered my gaze.

"What's your deal with him, Evelyn? Who is he to you?" She asked.

I felt uneasy.

"Evelyn,"

"Why don't you tell me why you killed your husband and go ahead to get me at all cost? Your men knocked me out. Your own child! How could you do this to your family?!" I yelled angrily.

She got on her feet and took steps towards me, making my heart pound as she approached.

"Your father is a bastard, and he deserved what came for him," she snarled.

I furrowed my brows at her.

"I should have left him for dead if it wasn't for what I needed most," she said, making me confused again.

"Wha....what do you mean?" I stuttered.

She grabbed my hand and began heading in a direction.

"Mum,"

She kept dragging me along.

"Where are you taking me?!" I yelled, holding myself back, but she kept dragging me.

"Guards!" I heard Annamarie yell.

Next, the guards approached me. They grabbed my arms as my mum walked ahead. They dragged me along and followed her behind.

"Let me go! Mum, tell them to let me go!"

She kept walking.

"Mum!"

She didn't respond but kept walking.

God, what is wrong with her?

Is she really my mother?

Did she give birth to me?!

We kept walking and along the hallway till we got to the room.

She opened it and walked in. The guards took me inside afterward and my heart dropped the minute I saw another shocking person seated on the floor, looking beyond battered.

"Dad!"

He opened his swollen eyes slowly.

"Pumpkin?"

My heart tore apart as tears filled my eyes.

"Pumpkin, is that you?"

"Dad...Let me go!" I cried, releasing myself from the men's hold as I ran towards my dad. I fell on my knees close to him and wrapped my hands around him as I sobbed painfully. He held me closer, caressing my hair.

I pulled from the hug and stared at him with my tears-filled eyes as he held my face, staring at me with his swollen eyes and face.

God, he is really wounded.

His shirtless body is filled with scars and blood. His trousers are dusty, and some parts are torn.

What did she do to him?

"My little pumpkin, you are here," he said happily, studying my face to confirm that I am really here.

My heart bled as I stared at him.

I turned to my mum.

"What did you do to him?!" I yelled.

She kept staring at me.

"Why would you do this to him? To us? What did he do to you?!" I cried.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" She said nonchalantly and walked away with her stupid men and Annamarie.

They closed the door, leaving me with my dad.

I looked at him.

"Dad...."

"Honey, I can't believe you are here," he said, caressing my hair as more tears flowed down my eyes.

"She told me you were dead," he said.

I shook my head. "I am not, dad. I thought you were dead. I thought you were both dead. I have been living with that fact since I saw the fire" I said, wrapping him in a hug.

He wincing in pain.

I quickly pulled away from him.

"Sorry. I am sorry," I said, looking at his battered body.

"It's okay. I will be fine," he said, caressing my cheek.

I held his hand on my cheek, feeling beyond terrible.

"Why did she do this to you?" I asked.

He stared at me.

"What is her reason? Tell me please," I begged.

He rested his head on the wall as his eyes moved elsewhere.

"Dad," I called.

"I am sorry, Pumpkin. This is all my fault," he said.

"How?"

He looked at me.

I waited for his answer.

"Before I married your mother, I had a family."

I froze. "What?"

"I have a wife and two sons."

Oh God.

"They all live in New York."

I furrowed my brows as something came to my mind.

I sat on the floor.

"So....." I began, lowering my gaze. "...all those trips you have been going on. You were going to visit your second family?" I asked, looking at him.

"I am sorry, Pumpkin,"

I let out a breathless scoff, lowering my gaze.

"I met your mother here in Milan. We connected somehow, and I managed to change her ruthless ways," he said.

I looked at him.

"Mafia?"

"Leonardo Diablo. Popularly known as De'vora. A deadly mafia boss. Your mother was his only daughter. But she lost everything under his name recently. I was her safe haven and she was mine. She helped me in my hard times. Those hard times almost placed me on the streets, but she was there for me all through. Marriage was the only reward I could think of. Even though I wasn't deeply in love with her. We got married and we had you."

I stared at him.

"Somehow, she found out about my family in New York. She started acting strange. She asked for half of my wealth, which I couldn't give. I made a mistake by comparing our marriage to my other one. I told her if I had to give half my wealth to anyone, it couldn't be her but my wife in New York, who gave me two sons," he said.

My heart tightened.

He looked at me.

I held his gaze.

He reached for my hand and held it.

"It doesn't mean I don't cherish you, pumpkin. You are my only daughter. My princess," he said.

Slowly, I withdrew my hand from his hold.

"We are in this mess because of you. How could you treat her like that?"

"I wasn't thinking, Pumpkin. I am human. I make mistakes," he said.

I nodded, lowering my gaze as tears flowed.

"She threatened to kill you if I didn't give her half my wealth," he said, making me look at him.

"I refused to sign the papers because I thought, like your mother, she wouldn't have the heart to kill you. Until she took pictures of you in the pool of your blood," he said, making my heart clench.

"I couldn't believe how cruel she could be. I still didn't give in to her. She couldn't access my family in New York so she made her men beat me up daily."

I scoffed as my heart clenched while looking everywhere but him.

"Wow. Some parents" I said, looking at him.

His eyes are on me.

"One cares about wealth so much that she would use her only child to get it by all means. While the other cares about his precious sons,"

"Pumpkin....."

"You both should have remained dead," I snarled.

His face twitched.

"It is better that way because I have made peace with your deaths. Why the hell did you both come back into my life again?!" I cried.

"Pumpkin, it is not...."

"Just forget it," I snapped, getting on my feet and walking towards the door.

"Honey,"

I didn't respond but hit the door.

"Let me out!" I yelled, hitting the door again.

No one answered.

"Let me out of here!" I cried.

HOURS LATER.........

I stared at the wall as tears flowed down my sore eyes.

I am still in the room with my dad and seated next to him. My back is resting on the wall and so is my head.

Mum has refused to open the door for me, so I can get away from him.

From her.

From everyone!

If I could also get away from myself, I would do that.

I feel so terrible.

My heart is weak from so much pain.

Adrian came to my mind, making my heart tighten again.

Everyone around me is just frauds.

They are nothing but fraudsters.

Only Imogen was a real thing.

But her mother wants to separate us by all means.

I hate my life.

I hate how I feel.

I hate my parents.

I hate Adrian!

I hate him so much! How could he do this to me?

He was playing me all this while.

He never valued me. All of it was a sham.

All the while he was at his mansion, he was sleeping with Dolores.

Dolores, for Pete's sake!

Oh God, I can't take this anymore.

My heart can't take this.

"Pumpkin....."

I sniffled.

"Honey, I am sorry," Dad said.

I moved to get on my feet again but froze the minute I felt something coming up my system. I held my stomach.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I covered my mouth with my hand, but it moved faster from my system.

I couldn't help but let it all out, and it poured on the floor.

"Oh God, Louisa! Louisa!" Dad yelled, holding my hand.

I gagged, throwing up the more.

"Louisa! Something is wrong with our daughter!"

I threw up more.

And more.

What is wrong with me?